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Systems and methods for detecting charge switching element failure in a battery systemSystems and methods for detecting charge switching element failure in a battery system description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060139006, Systems and methods for detecting charge switching element failure in a battery system. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] This invention relates generally to battery systems, and more particularly to detection of charge switching element failure in a battery system. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems. [0005] Examples of portable information handling systems include notebook computers. These portable electronic devices are typically powered by battery systems such as lithium ion ("Li-ion") or nickel metal hydride ("NiMH") battery packs including one or more rechargeable batteries. FIG. 1 shows a battery system 120 of a portable information handling system 100 having battery charge terminals 122, 124 that are temporarily coupled to corresponding charge output terminals 115, 116 of a battery charging apparatus 110. As so configured, battery charging apparatus 110 is coupled to receive current from current supply terminals 112, 114 (e.g., alternating current, or direct current from an AC adapter) and to provide DC charging current to battery charge terminals 122, 124 of battery system 120 via charge output terminals 115, 116. As shown, battery system 120 also includes battery system data bus (SMBus) terminals 126, 128 for providing battery state information, such as battery voltage, to corresponding battery charging apparatus data bus terminals 117, 118. [0006] FIG. 2 shows a conventional lithium ion battery system 120 having a battery management unit ("BMU") 202 responsible for monitoring battery system operation and for controlling battery system charge and discharge circuitry 270 that is present to charge and discharge one or more battery cells of the battery system. As shown, BMU 202 includes analog front end ("AFE") 206 and microcontroller 204. Charge and discharge circuitry 270 of battery system 120 includes two field effect transistors ("FETs") 214 and 216 coupled in series between battery charge terminal 112 and battery cell/s 224. FET 214 is a charge FET ("C-FET") switching element that forms a part of charge circuit 260 that is controlled by microcontroller 204 and/or AFE 206 of BMU 202 using switch 218 to allow or disallow charging current to the lithium ion battery cell/s 224, and FET 216 is a discharge FET ("D-FET") switching element that forms a part of discharge circuit 262 that is controlled by microcontroller 204 and/or AFE 206 of BMU 202 using switch 220 to allow or disallow discharge current from the battery cell/s 224. As shown, parasitic diodes are present across the source and drain of each FET switching element, i.e., to conduct charging current to the battery cell/s when the discharge FET switching element 216 is open, and to conduct discharging current from the battery cell/s when the charge FET switching element 214 is open. [0007] During normal battery pack operations both charge and discharge FET switching elements 214 and 216 are placed in the closed state by respective switches 218 and 220, and cell voltage detect circuitry 210 of AFE 206 monitors voltage of battery cell/s 224. If cell voltage detect circuitry 210 of AFE 206 detects a battery over-voltage condition, BMU 202 opens the charge FET switching element 214 to prevent further charging of the battery cell/s until the over-voltage condition is no longer present. Similarly, if the cell voltage detect circuitry 210 of AFE 206 detects a battery under-voltage (or over-discharge) condition, BMU 202 opens the discharge FET switching element 216 to prevent further discharging of the battery cell/s until the under-voltage condition is no longer present. BMU 202 may also open the charge FET switching element 214 when the battery pack is in sleep mode. [0008] A current sense resistor element 212 is present in the battery pack circuitry to allow current sensor 208 of AFE 206 to monitor charging current to the battery cell/s. If the charge FET switching element 214 is supposed to be open (e.g., during sleep mode or battery over-voltage condition) but charging current is detected, BMU 202 permanently disables the battery pack by blowing an inline fuse 222 present in the battery circuitry to open the battery pack circuitry and prevent further over-charging. In one conventional implementation, if charge FET switching element 214 is supposed to be open but current sensor 208 of AFE 206 detects a charging current of greater than 128 milliamperes for a time period of 4 seconds, then BMU 202 permanently disables the battery pack by blowing an inline fuse 222. [0009] When a conventional battery pack is in sleep mode or over-voltage condition (with open charge FET), a false charging current may nonetheless be detected by the BMU. Such a false charging current may result from noise and/or radio frequency interference, e.g., electromagnetic field (EMF), radio frequency (RF) interference. A false charging current may also result from a floating pin on AFE 206 without offset compensation. If the false charging current is of sufficient magnitude and duration when the charge FET is supposed to be open, the BMU assumes that the charge FET has failed and blows the fuse in error, permanently disabling a properly functioning battery pack. This results in high battery pack failure incidents, increasing costs for both manufacturer and consumer. [0010] Past attempts to address improper charge FET failure detection have included increasing the minimum detected charging current (from 125 mA to 500 mA) required prior to blowing the battery circuitry fuse, setting a minimum detected maximum cell voltage (4.25V) that is required to blow the fuse, and requiring that these minimum detected charging current and minimum detected maximum cell voltage conditions to be present for a number of consecutive samples (e.g., 32 consecutive samples). However, all of these attempted solutions make the BMU less likely to detect an actual charge FET failure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] Disclosed herein are systems and methods for detection of charge switching element failure (e.g., charge FET switching element) in a battery system, such as a battery system of an information handling system (e.g. notebook computer). The disclosed systems and methods may be advantageously configured to use an increase in cell voltage as a criteria for detecting charge switching element failure. This is in contrast to conventional battery packs that rely on current measurement as the primary indicator for charge FET failure, and which are therefore susceptible to false charging current indications. In one embodiment, the disclosed systems and methods may be configured to use an increase in cell voltage as a criteria for detecting charge switching element failure at any charge level of the battery cells (e.g., fully charged or deeply discharged). [0012] In one embodiment, the microcontroller of a battery system may be advantageously configured to combine measured battery circuit current with measured battery cell voltage information to detect charge switching element failure in a way that substantially eliminates the potential for disabling the battery system due to a false charging current indication, and without making it more difficult to detect an actual charge switching element failure. For example, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented in one exemplary embodiment using the cell voltage analog to digital ("A/D") port of an AFE that operates at a voltage level of about 2 to 3 volts and that is relatively immune to noise. This is in comparison to the much lower operating voltage level (1 millivolts) of the current sense resistor A/D port of a conventional AFE that is easily influenced by external noise. Thus, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to detect charge switching element failure using cell voltage measurements that are much more reliable than current sense resistor measurements that are conventionally employed alone. [0013] In one respect, disclosed herein is a method of detecting charge switching element failure in a battery system, including: monitoring for the presence of a battery charging current flowing to one or more battery cells of the battery system; monitoring voltage of the one or more battery cells of the battery system; and taking one or more failure state actions if both of the following conditions are detected to exist when the charge switching element of the battery system is supposed to be in a state that prevents flow of battery charging current to the one or more battery cells of the battery system: (i) battery charging current is flowing to the one or more battery cells, and (ii) voltage of the one or more battery cells is detected to be increasing. [0014] In another respect, disclosed herein is a battery system configured to be coupled to a battery charging apparatus, the battery system including: one or more battery cells; battery current control circuitry configured to be coupled between the battery charging apparatus and the one or more battery cells, the battery current control circuitry including at least one charge switching element configured to control flow of the charging current to the battery cells from the battery charging apparatus; a switching element failure detector configured to take one or more failure state actions if both of the following conditions are detected to exist when the charge switching element of the battery system is supposed to be in a state that prevents flow of battery charging current to the one or more battery cells of the battery system: (i) battery charging current is flowing to the one or more battery cells, and (ii) voltage of the one or more battery cells is detected to be increasing. [0015] In another respect, disclosed herein is a battery system for a portable information handling system configured to be coupled to a battery charging apparatus, the battery system including: one or more battery cells; a charge circuit configured to be coupled between the battery charging apparatus and the one or more battery cells, the charge circuit including a charge FET switching element and being configured to receive a charging current from the battery charging apparatus; an inline fuse configured to be coupled between the battery charging apparatus and the one or more battery cells; and a battery management unit (BMU) coupled to the charge circuit, the BMU including a microcontroller. The BMU may be configured to control operation of the inline fuse so as to permanently disable the battery system if both of the following conditions are detected to exist when the charge FET switching element of the battery system is supposed to be in a state that prevents flow of battery charging current to the one or more battery cells of the battery system: (i) battery charging current is flowing to the one or more battery cells, and (ii) voltage of the one or more battery cells is detected to be increasing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional portable electronic device and battery charging apparatus. [0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional lithium ion battery system. [0018] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a battery system according to one embodiment of the disclosed systems and methods. [0019] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a battery system according to one embodiment of the disclosed systems and methods. [0020] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating methodology according to another embodiment of the disclosed methods and systems. DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS Continue reading about Systems and methods for detecting charge switching element failure in a battery system... Full patent description for Systems and methods for detecting charge switching element failure in a battery system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Systems and methods for detecting charge switching element failure in a battery system patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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